Qualla: Salt Lake City: The Mormon Capital at the Crossroads of the West

Salt Lake City: The Mormon Capital at the Crossroads of the West: Introduction

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0. On July 24, 1847, Brigham Young looked down from the Wasatch Mountains into the Salt Lake Valley and declared, 'This is the right place.' The Mormon pioneers had walked 1,300 miles from Illinois, fleeing persecution, seeking a place where they could practice their faith in peace. They found it in the desert basin between mountains and salt lake. Within days they were laying out a city; within years they had transformed desert into farmland through irrigation. Salt Lake City remains the world headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the faith that shaped the city's character. But Salt Lake is also a ski destination, a tech hub, and an increasingly diverse city that's outgrowing its theocratic roots.

Read more: Salt Lake City on Qualla

Image: Farragutful | CC BY-SA 4.0

Salt Lake City: The Mormon Capital at the Crossroads of the West: This is the Place

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit CC BY-SA 3.0. The Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley exhausted, malnourished, and determined. They had been driven from New York, Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, their founder Joseph Smith murdered by a mob in 1844. Brigham Young, his successor, led the exodus west - 70,000 Mormons ...

Read more: Salt Lake City on Qualla

Image: CC BY-SA 3.0

Salt Lake City: The Mormon Capital at the Crossroads of the West: Temple Square

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Shawnnielsen, CC BY-SA 3.0. The Salt Lake Temple took 40 years to build, from 1853 to 1893, its six granite spires rising above downtown. Only members in good standing may enter the temple itself, but Temple Square - the 10-acre headquarters of the LDS Church - welcomes all visitors. The Tabernacle, with it...

Read more: Salt Lake City on Qualla

Image: Shawnnielsen | CC BY-SA 3.0

Salt Lake City: The Mormon Capital at the Crossroads of the West: The Greatest Snow on Earth

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit An Errant Knight, CC BY-SA 4.0. Utah's license plates proclaim 'The Greatest Snow on Earth' - a claim supported by average snowfall of 500+ inches in the Wasatch Mountains and the dry, light powder that comes from Great Basin storm patterns. Seven ski resorts lie within 45 minutes of Salt Lake City: Alta, Snowb...

Read more: Salt Lake City on Qualla

Image: An Errant Knight | CC BY-SA 4.0

Salt Lake City: The Mormon Capital at the Crossroads of the West: The Lake

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Michael McConville, CC BY 4.0. The Great Salt Lake is the largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere - 75 miles long at full pool, up to eight times saltier than the ocean. It has no outlet; water flows in and evaporates, leaving minerals behind. You can float effortlessly, the salt supporting your weigh...

Read more: Salt Lake City on Qualla

Image: Michael McConville | CC BY 4.0

Salt Lake City: The Mormon Capital at the Crossroads of the West: Beyond the Temple

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Buxtor at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) lies minutes from downtown, recently expanded with a new terminal. The TRAX light rail connects the airport to downtown and the university. Temple Square anchors downtown, but the city extends in all directions - the Avenues neighborhood...

Read more: Salt Lake City on Qualla

Image: Buxtor at English Wikipedia | CC BY-SA 3.0